AAR: Freight, intermodal traffic continue to rise

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Association of American Railroads

Association of American Railroads

WASHINGTON — U.S. freight and intermodal rail traffic is steadily rising in the latest report issued by the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending March 11, freight carload traffic was up 4.3 percent and intermodal traffic was up 4.5 percent compared to the same week in 2016.

Coal traffic was up nearly 12 percent to 79,646 carloads and grain was up almost 11 percent, or 24,248 carloads. Non-metallic minerals were also up more than 10 percent compared to the same week in March 2016.

Petroleum products were still down more than 15 percent and motor vehicles and related auto parts were down 8.5 percent last week compared to the same period in 2016.

For the first 10 weeks of 2017, U.S. freight and intermodal traffic is up 2.5 percent compared to 2016.